Nowadays, we have streaming, video games, concerts and movie theaters - but back in the day, America’s favorite pastime was seeing freaks of nature.

The tradition of sideshows goes all the way back to the 1700s in England, when performers would go around displaying their strange and wondrous skills. It evolved into circuses and sideshows, which would travel around England and the United States showcasing “freaks” and various other wonders of nature, such as “The World’s Largest Rat”, and the “Abominable Snowman”. These were often just exotic animals, or people with disabilities - but life in the early 20th century was bleak enough, so who could blame these impresarios for trying to add a little magic and wonder to the mix?

Check out some oddities and living curios that probably wouldn’t fly today.